ABSTRACT
In optoelectronics and semiconductor applications, the usage of monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon (Si), a tetravalent metalloid, is the most dominant controller within the whole industry. Further, thin films of functional materials on Si are often utilized as storage devices for magnetic media as well as the components of micro-and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS). In-depth nanoindentation studies [1-4] can help us to understand the deformation mechanisms of Si surfaces for the sake of design and fabrication purposes. Several researchers [1-4] have reported the occurrence of phase transformations under widely different loading and unloading conditions.
